[Vision2020] Daily News 8/24/2004: "Chamber health in question; Leadership, financial stability of group raises concerns "

[Saundra Lund]

No mention of Kimmell's choice of Lee for the Chamber's board retreat, but a
very informative article about other difficulties the Chamber is facing.  I try
to keep up on local issues, but I was unaware that Moscow had missed out on
funding due to missed deadlines  :-(

Saundra Lund
Moscow, ID
_____

Moscow-Pullman Daily News
8/24/2004
pp:  front page& 10A

"Chamber health in question; Leadership, financial stability of group raises
concerns 

Alexis Bacharach

The Moscow Chamber of Commerce has long been known as the ambassador for local
business. Former executive board member and past chamber President BJ Swanson
said she remembers clearly when the organization was the proud face of Moscow. 

Growing concern about the organization's leadership and financial instability
have tarnished the chamber's reputation, Swanson said. 

The chamber currently shows a deficit of approximately $74,000 in retained
earnings, or money that accumulates over the life of a company as the result of
profitable operations. 

Swanson, a local banker, said retained earnings for a nonprofit organization
shouldn't change much from year to year. She was a little concerned when she
noticed a $62,000 difference in retained earnings from 2002 to 2004. It's pretty
bad to show a $74,000 deficit when an organization's total budget isn't much
more than $180,000, Swanson added. 

"If they have negative $74,000 in retained earnings, and a net income of
$57,000, where's the cash coming from?" she asked. "It doesn't make any sense.
You can usually tell if your numbers are wrong when there's a change in retained
earnings." 

Current chamber President Janice McMillan said she's equally concerned about the
health of the organization but maintains the chamber is far from bankrupt. To
gain a better handle on the organization's financial situation the board is in
the process of finding an accounting firm to perform an external audit. 

"That's good. They need an audit," Swanson said. "It never should have gotten
this far. I take responsibility for this too. I was on the board while some of
these things were happening, and I didn't ask any questions, but this needs to
get cleaned up. Moscow needs a strong chamber." 

Swanson believes the financial problems are a symptom of a much larger problem -
inadequate leadership. 

Chamber Executive Director Paul Kimmell also is a Latah County commissioner and
can only work part time at the chamber. 

"We hired Paul (in 2001) because we felt he was the most qualified for the job,"
Swanson said. "We knew he would only be able to work part time. The key was that
he hire a very strong office manager. That has not happened." 

The chamber has employed multiple office managers between 2001 and 2004. Kimmell
said he is well aware of the chamber's staffing problems and the board's
concerns regarding his time commitments. 

"I wish I was full time at either job," Kimmell said. "And things may change as
a result of elections or something else. Most of the time it's an incredibly
beneficial relationship. We're all kind of spokes in the wheel." 

Swanson believes the real problem has been lack of oversight, attributable to
Kimmell's dual roles in the community. 

Kimmell's commitments to the county don't allow him sufficient time to
concentrate on chamber business, Swanson said. 

As an example, she pointed to the chamber's inability to secure thousands of
dollars in grant funding from the Idaho Travel Council and the Department of
Commerce. 

The chamber was denied funding for multiple travel brochures, maps and other
tourism guides, because it missed grant deadlines. 

McMillan said part of the problem stems from an inexperienced staff. Experts are
expensive, and you can only ask so much from a volunteer, she added. 

"Our resources are not that great. Most of our staff never had any grant-writing
experience, and we've taken some lumps for it. I wish I had more experience with
grant writing," she said. "It's really difficult to obtain funding. There always
needs to be more documentation, and there's always another hoop to jump through
in order to get the money." 

McMillan said she's not convinced a full-time director is the best solution. It
would further draw down the chamber's limited resources, she said. 

"Is monitoring the office and answering phones the best use of his time?"
McMillan asked of Kimmell's role. "He needs to be out in the community promoting
business. That's what makes your membership solid. Every chamber has financial
struggles." 

Swanson said she thinks a full-time director could go out in the community to
solicit donations and generate income. 

"When I was at the chamber we were always looking for members and volunteers,"
she said. "We had to look several years ahead, so we could recruit people who
would take hold and work." 

Even if Kimmell were in the chamber position full time, Swanson said, he is not
in a good position to attract new people to the chamber. His membership with
Moscow's Christ Church and controversy surrounding that role have plagued
Kimmell. 

An investigation recently was conducted by the Nez Perce County Prosecuting
Attorney's Office into claims that Kimmell failed to disclose a potential
conflict of interest when commissioners approved tax exemptions for New St.
Andrews College and Anselm House - private organizations affiliated with Christ
Church. 

The inquiry cleared Kimmell of any wrongdoing, but it still is the topic of much
discussion around town. 

Swanson said she doesn't care where Kimmell goes to church unless it causes harm
to the chamber and, ultimately, local business. 

The community has been at odds with Christ Church pastor Doug Wilson for years
over his views on women, homosexuality and public schools. 

The battle came to a head in October, when the community learned of a booklet
co-written by Wilson. The booklet, "Southern Slavery: As It Was," infuriated
community members with its sometimes positive depiction of pre-Civil War
slavery. 

Wilson and the booklet's co-author, Steve Wilkins, were speakers in February at
an annual history conference at the University of Idaho sponsored by Wilson's
church and magazine. 

Many who have long disagreed with the pastor's views, took their protest against
Wilson and applied it to the entire church. Those same community members have
attacked Kimmell's membership in the church on local Internet listservs and
other public forums. 

Questions raised on listservs like Vision 2020 included Kimmell's decision to
hire several Christ Church members at the chamber. 

"This whole thing needs to come to an end," Kimmell said. "There is no great
right-wing conspiracy to take over the chamber of commerce. When people come in
to become members, I don't ask them if they are Christ Church members. That is
not on our application for membership. I don't respond to attacks on Vision
2020." 

Swanson said Kimmell's failure to respond is bad for the chamber. She believes
the only way to combat rumors and false information is to give people the truth.


"No one has stood up in the chamber's defense," Swanson said. "Your public
perception is what people say about you behind your back. If people are
spreading false information, you come back with the truth. Otherwise, people
believe those rumors to be fact." 

Currently, the chamber has more than 500 members. Kimmell said that number has
gone up substantially in the three years he has been executive director. In his
mind, the chamber is doing a "great job promoting local business." 

"It's really easy to sit back and point out everything we are doing wrong," he
said. "If those people are so concerned about what's happening why can't they
come in here and talk to us about it?" 

Kimmell said the rumors and personal attacks have forced him to consider whether
his position at the chamber is worth the $1,000 paycheck he receives every other
week. 

"I think about it every day - maybe not every day," he said. "I'm sure there are
places I could go and be far better compensated for the work I do. But I love
Moscow, and that's the key to this job. You really have to love Moscow." 

Swanson said she doesn't doubt Kimmell's sincerity, but she still believes the
controversy around him is bad for the chamber. 

"If you look at chamber executives, they usually only last between two or four
years because it's very hard to be under the microscope that long," she said.
"Religion and partisan politics don't belong in the chamber." 


Alexis Bacharach can be reached at (208) 882-5561 ext. 234, or by e-mail at
abacharach at dnews.com."